Southwest Cafe — Restaurant in Ridgefield

November 19th, 2024 - 4.7 There are so many great places to eat in Ridgefield. If I lived here or nearby, Southwest Cafe would definitely be on my regular list.

Thanks to Southwest Cafe for being the sponsor this evening to the Ridgefield Playhouse concert featuring "The English Beat," which gave ticket holders a free margarita. This area sponsorship has introduced us to many fine restaurants here. (see my reviews)

Sometimes the smallest thing can stand out throughout an entire meal. Here it was their salsa. For those who read my reviews, you know I lived out west a long time, though born in CT and now returned. Their salsa was something I had not tasted since I was last in Santa Fe. Mentioning this to the waiter/bartender and more, he remarked, "The owner has a house in Taos." There you go.

The evening special of three tacos for $22. was a great deal. I chose the BBQ pork, swordfish, and beef. Only having room for one, I ate the pork. Not carnitas, but smokey and satisfying. A bite of the swordfish and beef before packaging it up to take home showed these two choices were exceptional, with both the fish and churrasco steak cooked perfectly. I did add a premium margarita to my meal. Who doesn't want a shot of Grand Marnier? They gave me a container of their terrific salsa to go.

I look forward to trying more of their New Mexico cuisine in the future. Outdoor tented seating in addition to the restaurant and bar. Friendly festive environment. Attentive service....

We're never disappointed with this well-run, authentic New Mexican joint. There is no better place to go for this type of fare in the Putnam/Westchester/Fairfield area. We went on a Tuesday night on our latest visit, and and the place was packed. This is always a good sign. The food was, as usual, fresh and perfectly cooked and seasoned. I had the Baja Tuna Tacos cooked rare (which I highly recommend) and my wife had the Flautas. Both dishes were superb. $8 bottom shelf margarita was O.K., but XX on tap never disappoints. My only complaint about this place is that the chairs are small and extremely hard. If you have issues with that kind of thing...bring a cushion? I dunno. Otherwise, the decor is lovely if bordering on tacky southwestern. The service is prompt and friendly. The prices are a touch high for Mexican (most dinner entrees around $20), but par for Ridgefield and well worth it for the quality of the food. The portions are not enormous, so if you're looking to gorge yourself, go to a buffet. They are more than enough for any reasonable appetite, and we always leave with a to-go box. Highly, highly, highly...

We are visiting from out of state and went out to dinner with family. We sat outside and had a party of 8. The restaurant seemed more upscale and I was impressed by the presentation of the food. Unfortunately our service was very poor. The waitress we had was rude and rushed. We had to keep getting her attention as she rushed by or calling her after she walked by. She checked our table once after food. The food tasted great, but later that night 3 people, including my pregnant self, got sick. I was lucky not to vomit was others were not as lucky. Once the waitress handed the check to my 9 year old daughter, we were all confused as to what the intentions were. We waited for over 10 minutes for her to come back and grab the check until we had to walk inside and get it paid ourselves. It was a frustrating dinner, our waters never seemed full and we were never offered straws. Our waitress was the most upsetting part. As a first and last impression we will make sure never to...